Horticulturist provides rare glimpse inside the jewel of Tacoma’s Wright Park
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- W. W. Seymour Conservatory houses thousands of plants, many from worldwide locales.
- Conservatory closed Feb. 16–24 for maintenance ahead of Feb. 25 spring display.
- Parks Tacoma grows most display plants in greenhouses and supplies city parks.
Thousands of species of plants stretch for sunlight inside an elaborate glass Victorian conservatory in Tacoma’s Wright Park. For nearly 120 years the W. W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory has offered Pierce County residents a special place to look at rare and beautiful plants regardless of the weather.
As its head horticulturist prepares to unveil its new spring display on Feb. 25, The News Tribune got an inside look of what it takes to maintain the only free public conservatory in the county. Additional maintenance will mean the conservatory will be closed to the public next week, from Feb. 16 to Feb. 24, staff said.
Now is the best time to see a variety of beautiful orchids in bloom, said Joseph Gabbamonte, whose job is to care for the plants inside. He spends his days carefully watering, pruning, fertilizing and organizing the elaborate flower displays, in addition to feeding the resident koi fish (Mystique, Oliver and Eldora) and two yellow poison dart frogs. Occasionally Mr. BW, a black and white stray cat, will stop by, he said.
The plants inside the conservatory are from all over the world, including South Africa and South America, Gabbamonte said. Caring for them requires special knowledge of their watering needs and careful pest maintenance, he said. The closest comparable conservatory is the Volunteer Park Conservatory in Seattle, Gabbamonte said.
Few people know that most of the flower displays at the W. W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory are grown from seed elsewhere by Parks Tacoma. Several greenhouses The News Tribune saw Tuesday house not only plants destined for the conservatory but other annuals that will soon fill flower beds in Point Defiance Park, along Ruston Way and in Wapato, Titlow, Norpoint and Dash Point parks.
Horticulturist Melissa Carter has been growing plants for Parks Tacoma for 18 years and said the conservatory gets new flowers every Monday to keep them looking fresh.
The W. W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory opened in 1908 and receives funding from the Parks Tacoma general fund, in addition to support from the nonprofit W. W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory Foundation, said Parks Tacoma public information officer Stacia Glenn. A gnarled lemon tree at the entrance is the oldest plant inside, about 80 years old, Gabbamonte said. Its lemons are large — weighing two to five pounds each.
This month, for the first time, the conservatory is hosting a lemon-tasting event with sweet and savory treats made from the zest and juice of the Ponderosa Lemon tree. Although that event is sold out, the conservatory hosts regular children’s story hours and Gabbamonte said Parks Tacoma will offer more wellness and mindfulness events this spring, including yoga. You can keep an eye on the conservatory’s website and social media for updates.
